Everything you need to know about dving Pattaya
Pattaya offers a somewhat different diving experience to other destinations in Thailand. Located close to Bangkok, it is significantly more built-up than any other destination, with a bustling night-life & plenty of topside activities.
While not offering the quality of diving of some of Thailand's more remote locations, it is an extremely convenient dive spot with plenty of established dive shops & facilities for divers.
It is a popular place to learn to dive, but underwater, the main attraction is its wrecks.
Highlights
Best diving spots
The two most famous wrecks are the Hardeep & the Bremen. The Hardeep, an Indonesian freighter that went down in 1942, is probably the better dive as the wreck is in much better shape & penetration is possible. The Bremen is a 300 foot long wreck that provides a refuge to large schools of Snapper & Barracuda.
To provide a little variety to wreck diving, there are also some other dive sites in the area. The pick of the bunch is possibly Ko Rin, with its boulders, swim-throughs & healthy marine life. Closer to Pattaya, Ka Krok, Ko Chuang & Ko Samaesan have nice corals and reef-fish.
The dive sites around Pattaya, with the possible exception of Ko Rin, do not have the visibility of other dive spots in Thailand and some sites get strong currents, but for those looking for a combination of wreck-diving and coral diving, with plenty to do away from the reefs, it makes for an interesting option.
When to dive
Pattaya tends to escape the worst effects on the monsoon, meaning it is possible to dive here all year round. The best conditions are normally between May & August.
Getting there
Pattaya has an airport with connecting flights to Bangkok, Phuket & Ko Samui. It is also only a short bus ride from Bangkok, 145km away and is linked by rail to the capital. There is also a regional airport in Pattaya.
Activities
One major plus of Pattaya is its range of activities. Watersports are hugely popular, there are also golf courses & go karting tracks, plus no shortage of places to eat and drink.
Resort and liveaboard options
Pattaya receives a huge volume of tourists and has a huge number of accommodation options, but not necessarily a huge variety. Most accommodation is budget to mid-range hotels and apartments, often in built up areas. Hat Jomtien, to the south, has more luxury options.
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Perhentian Islands
Off the north-eastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia, not too far south of the Thai border, the beautiful Perhentian Islands rise vertically out of the sparkling blue sea, creating one of Malaysia's most iconic diving destinations & one of the most popular spots in Malaysia to learn to dive.
Subic Bay
Subic Bay is all about wreck diving. This area of Luzon has a rich maritime history and was a key harbour in WWII, resulting in excellent diving options for wreck afficanados.
The wrecks of Subic Bay are not the only option for divers on the island of Luzon however. Others may also wish to explore Nasugbu to the south, or La Union to the north.
Tunku Abdul Rahman
Just off the coast from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah's regional capital - the five islands that make up Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park are often overlooked by divers heading straight to Sipadan in the south.
The national park, which is named after a former Malaysian president, has some very good diving though, with pretty fringing reefs sloping gently down from white-sand beaches, plus some rare & unusual species.
Bali
Possibly Indonesia's most well known tourist destination, the diving in Bali is also excellent.
Many divers head to Tulamben on Bali's eastern coast, home of the USS Liberty wreck.
To the south of Bali lie the islands of Nusa Penida, Lembongan and Ceningan, where Manta Rays and Mola Mola can be seen in season.
Tioman & Aur
Around 40km off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, not far from Singapore is the picturesque island of Tioman.
A popular holiday resort for Malaysians & Singaporeans, the steep-sided jungle clad slopes of the island rise straight out the water and smaller islets dot the coastline, making for a spectacular tropical dive spot.
A little to the south is the tiny island of Aur, which while difficult to reach, has good diving.
Wreck diving hotspots
